Dan’s face shows the perils of using a clearomiser without letting the juice soak in first.

Ever had any problems with clearomisers? (I bet you did when you started, even if you don’t now!) Here you’ll find a list of problems I’ve come across as a blogger and retailer. Have a skim through, because if you are making these mistakes the solutions could extend the life of your clearomiser, save money and increase the enjoyment you get out of vaping. (And if you think I’ve missed any mistakes, please let me know in the comments!) Alternatively, for a more in-depth user guide check out the Ultimate Guide to Clearomisers.

1. Getting eliquid down the center tube/chimney

When you fill your clearomiser, make sure eliquid doesn’t enter the center tube/chimney, or you will flood the clearomiser. If you do flood the clearomiser (you can tell by a gurgling noise) try removing the bottom and blowing through it onto a piece of tissue to clear it.

2. Using your clearomiser as soon as you have filled it up with ejuice (leading to that burnt clearomiser taste!).

Allowing the ejuice time to soak in helps protect the atomiser and ensures you get a great vape from the start. You should usually allow 3-5 mins for the juice to soak in properly. Dan’s face at the top of this blog post is a clear indication of why you should do this 😉

3. Taking Ultra Long Drags

We’ve known people take 20 second drags, but this can damage the atomiser, especially if you’re using a low ohm atomiser.

4. Forgetting to turn off your ecigarette before you put it in your pocket

Remember to click your battery five times to turn it off before putting it into your jean pockets. (Above: Hannah from ECigaretteDirect demos how to keep an ecig in your pocket with style! )

Sit on your ecigarette, and it can fizzle away until the atomiser in the clearomiser is burnt. Most refillable e-cigarettes come with a button which you can push five times to turn it on/off. This can also happen in bags etc. If you’re like me and keep forgetting to turn off your ecig even when you know you ought to, try using a pouch lanyard to keep your ecig safe around your neck. (This is also a great way to avoid losing your ecigarette down the side of the sofa!)

5. Letting the liquid run too low

Another common mistake is not keeping your clearomiser topped up enough with e liquid. When the eliquid in your clearomiser falls below a certain level, you starve the atomiser of eliquid – leading to a shorter atomiser life or even a complete burn out. Instead, make sure you keep your clearomiser topped up to a least a quarter of its capacity. With the Aspire Bottom Dual Coil Clearomiser, try not let the eliquid get below the two holes in the centre coil, as these are used to pass eliquid back to the atomiser.

6. Filling the clearomiser from the wrong end

Fill regular clearomisers from the top end (see top picture), fill bottom dual coil clearomisers from the bottom end (bottom picture). With both, be careful not to get eliquid down the center tube.

Fill standard clearomisers from the top, and bottom coil clearomisers such as the Aspire BDC from the bottom. Watch the video below for tips on how to fill the Aspire bottom dual clearomiser:

Note, some clearomisers need a vacuum when they are filled, so you will only be able to remove one end when filling.

7. Pressing the button before vaping

I must admit, I love the sound of the fizz when you click your battery button. Unfortunately, when you do this eliquid can collect in the mouth piece and condense, leading to a gurgling sound and reduced performance.

8. Forcing the head onto a clearomiser

Give the head a half turn anti-clockwise until you feel a click.

Simply give a half turn anti-clockwise until you hear a click when you screw the head on to a clearomiser – this will help thread it correctly.

9. Using A Weak Battery

To get the best results out of a top-notch clearomiser like the Aspire BDC, you should use a powerful battery like the Evod Variable Voltage or the Vision Spinner 2 , which also allows you to adjust the voltage to get the perfect vape. (The exact voltage will depend on both your eliquid and your personal preferences.)

To check which voltage you should use with different ohm atomisers, check out the chart below (click on the chart for the full size, or here if you wish to embed it on your own website):

To share this chart on your site, simply copy and paste the code below

Whenever you buy a new battery, make sure you it will give it a good 4-5 hour charge to condition it before you use it. If it doesn’t have this first full charge it’s never quite the same.

10. Holding Down The Button Before Vaping

Some vapers like to hold down the button on variable voltage devices before inhaling. Unfortunately, this can lead to eliquid condensing in the drip tip, which can reduce vapour production and lead to gurgling noises.

To remedy, it may be worth cleaning the clearomiser (see instructions here) and then ensuring that you inhale as soon as you activate your vaping device.

Reader Suggestions

Thanks to our informed readers for these additional helpful suggestions!

11. Clean the clearomiser after filling with a twist of tissue paper. (Paul Daniel Kendrick)

12. Don’t forget to rinse the drip tip in warm water, gets rid of any condensed liquid. (Neil Martin) Richard Lawrence also recommends soaking the clearomisers in warm soapy water. (If you do clean the clearomisers, allow them to dry for at least 12 hours before using again. For quick dry, try placing rice which quickly soaks up the water.)

13. Clean the battery terminal and atomiser to ensure a good contact. (Neil Pickering)

14. When you unscrew the atomizer off the battery, make sure it’s the bottom ring that you unscrew – happened to me that I unscrewed the middle ring and the battery was full of liquid (Clive Maria Green)

15. Don’t over-tighten, don’t overfill. (Elaine Durrance)

What have I missed? Let me know in the comments!Find this article of value?

Author:About James Dunworth

Main blogger at the Ashtray Blog, co-author of a University of Alberta study of "Electronic cigarettes as potential harm reduction products", co-author of the book: "Electronic Cigarettes: What the Experts Say." Works at ecigarettedirect.co.uk.

26 Responses to “Do You Make These 15 Common Clearomiser Mistakes?”

Rinse the clearomizer and wick well and then dry with kitchen paper. Do a short-burst dryburn on it to remove all the gunk from the coil. When you see it burn evenly it’s ready to vape again and tastes like new. This prolongs the life of the coil enormously.

In general around two hours, but if you wait until the charger light goes green you’ll be fine either way (although we always recommend giving batteries a long initial charge as this conditions the battery.)

Thanks for the suggestion but there is no no difference, do you think i might be holding the button down too long before inhaleing it doesnt gurgle it crackles then pops has hit my face a few times do u think the seal could be faulty?

Linda, I am having a similar problem with a new K1 with BVC coils. Mine isn’t spitting but it does seem to be producing liquid in the vapour: I get a bitter aftertaste and the tank is very prone to condensation of juice in the drip tip. I can’t for the life of me work out what the problem is. I thought at first that my liquid was too thick (70VG) and have diluted it a little. This has helped, I think, but the problem persists. It’s frustrating when so many other users seem to be reporting such great performance of the K1 and BVC coils. My experience at the moment doesn’t reflect this and like you I am running out of possible solutions.

I wondered whether I was over-powering the coil; then I wondered whether I was under-powering it (i.e. not vaporising al the juice that gets to the coil). So I have tried it at every setting between the recommended 4.2v-5v (for the 1.8ohm coil) — and results have been pretty much the same.

Sorry, gave you the wrong impression. What I meant was are there advantages/disadvantages between the top fill units compared to the bottom fill that I am using now? I have tried a new coil in my existing unit and so far it appears to have resolved the problem, perhaps the original unit had a faulty seal or something Will let you know if this is a permanent cure as it may be of use to other readers. thanks L

Generally top fill clearomisers are not bottom dual coil. The advantage of the bottom seated coil is that the gravity helps ensure the atomiser remains soaked in eliquid. We’ve been moving all our clearomisers to bottom fill technology as (at the moment – the technology is always changing!) we find they deliver a far better vape.